ANOTHER LONELY DECEMBER, Riley Johnson

... That Ends Well

(FIVE YEARS LATER)

🎧: Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes

"Darling, I need help with the- fuck" I called out as I got tangled in the fairy lights, again.

"You know I can always help with that" Riley whispered, placing a soft kiss on my neck as she stood behind me, hands gripping on my waist.

"No, no, no. Not- Not now" I reprimanded her. "I really need help, I'm... stuck" I could barely move my arms. I had no idea how I handed up in that situation but Riley didn't seem eager to help. She laughed lightly as I tried to loosen the knot. "Riley, please" I demanded, getting slightly upset.

"Fine, fine" she complied somehow managing to get me out of that mess.

We volunteered to host Christmas this year. At first, we both thought it was a brilliant idea... Then, we actually got into all the planning and setting up stuff and I finally understood why Tipper was- Well, Tipper. It was a never-ending list of things to get and things to fix and meals to change because some people had allergies, others didn't eat meat, and we wanted it to be perfect for everyone.

"Can I help?" Charlie offered as she walked down the stairs.

"Actually, yes. Sweetie, could you please go to the kitchen and grab one of those ugly plates Riley bought?" I mouthed the word ugly so Riley couldn't ear, making the girl laugh loudly. Charlie was the kid we'd been fostering for a little over two months. She was such a sweetheart.

After we got together, Riley and I both moved to New-York. At that time, we each had our own apartment as we didn't want to rush things. We figured out the best way to make things work was to start over from the beginning. So, we went on dates, got to know each other, and I fell in love a second time. As predicted, things weren't always smooth and easy, but we made it work.

We got married after two years and decided to keep our own names. It was just easier that way considering our lines of work. We got a cat, and a dog, and then another cat. We really were living up to the Disney movies standards but both of us felt like something was missing. Of course we talked about having kids, none of us wanted to get pregnant but adoption seemed like a great option. Except, at that time, we weren't completely sure that we were ready to commit to raising a child of our own.

So, we decide to foster children. Older children, the ones who were never people's first choice, the ones people wouldn't adopt right away because of their advanced age. It always worked out fine, sure some of them had their own issues but deep down they were all great kids. Wanting to be a foster family brought us to the point where we bought a house. It was everything I'd ever dreamed of and I never thought I would get. But, long story short, that's how we met Charlie. This twelve years old bundle of joy switched our lives around. I looked at her as she set up the plates, making sure they were all perfectly aligned. Her blonde curls fell all over her face, hiding her emerald, green eyes. A reversed smiled curled her lips, she didn't seem sure about the placement of the plates.

"Are you still sure about this?" Riley asked, hugging me from behind. I nodded silently, melting into the embrace. When Charlie first got here, she was really quiet. She had just lost her mom due to illness and her dad, who was never a part of her life, refused to take custody. So, she ended up in foster care. The kid we were fostering before had just been adopted and the house was feeling empty and silent, we figured she could use the comfort and stability of our home. But nothing had prepared us for how different she would be compared to the other kids we've helped before. There was something about her ending up here with us that just felt right, despite the circumstances. When we met her, it just clicked.